Bob Norburn - Engineer - Tribologist - Entrepreneur! Bob Norburn from Wigan has entered the dragons den on more than one occasion, and fought for what he believes in. During the past thirty years he has formulated, developed, patented and produced many ground-breaking products. The latest, a revolutionary way to shave, Ultra Shave.
Bob started out as an apprentice aged fifteen with De Havilland Aircraft at Lostock, Bolton. After completing his six year apprenticeship Bob worked in QA (Quality Assurance) and spent thirty five years inspecting and qualifying aircraft and submarine equipment.
In 1982 Bob emigrated to Canada with his family (wife Pauline, and son, Matthew) spending the following twenty years or so working on defence contracts for the Canadian and US governments. During his career Bob has signed off hundreds of aircraft as fit to fly, his reputation was well respected, not a single aircraft signed off by Bob has ever failed in service, or crashed.
"I am an extremely disciplined guy, some would say I'm a perfectionist, but when you are responsible for the airworthiness of aircraft, civilian and military, you do your utmost to protect the innocent end-users by eliminating any perceivable risks. I've often heard it said that a perfectionist is the well employed and appreciated, in aircraft quality assurance" Bob states.
Bob has always demanded that high standards are achieved, his dedication was motivated by knowing the risk involved every time someone steps into an aircraft. "If the aircraft gets my stamp of approval then you can be sure you're in safe hands."
He adheres to what he calls Bob's Law, he believes that in any trade 5% of people are outstanding and excel at their work, 15% are reliable, but that 80% of people can be an embarrassment to their trade no matter what trade it is. For this reason Bob is dedicated to the safety and security of people, and says "I am not adverse to risk, I like a bet on the horses from time to time, but I will not compromise on peoples safety or put their lives at risk. You can gamble with money, but you don't play games when there are lives at risk."
His devotion to his work was one reason why he was employed as a QA auditor at Fleet Industries in Fort Erie, Canada, to check the build quality and airworthiness of F18 fighter jets and Black Hawk helicopters. During his time at Fleet, Bob found major flaws in production and quality control, including aircraft parts that were compromised and likely to cause catastrophic failure.
After review of his audit the company wouldn't acknowledge there were major problems within the plant. He was offered a large amount of money to keep the information to himself but lives were being put at risk and Bob reported the company to the Canadian and US authorities who sent in their own audit teams. The Fleet directors sacked Bob on the spot.
A legal case commenced, Fleet sued Bob for Ca$6,000,000, his family were subjected to death threats and violence. His son Matthew, then fourteen, was beaten up at school and his arm broken, Bob's wife Pauline received death threats and finally 6oz of C4 plastic explosive was stuck to his car.
"The FBI and Canadian government auditors and investigators became involved. Over a period of time thirteen F18's crashed, eight pilots were killed, ten Black Hawk helicopters crashed and killed over fifty people, the final straw was the loss of a civilian aircraft. I was technically and morally right so I stuck by my guns, despite the threats." Bob countersued the company and eventually won the case, however, as part of the settlement Bob had to agree that he would not work again in his chosen profession. This newspaper article gives an insight into these times and Bob's integrity.
For the following three years, Bob, now exiled from his profession, spent much of his time "walking the dog". Then by the most bizarre circumstances he started up a company exporting cosmetics into the grey market. "I bought some MAC cosmetics for a friend's Japanese wife - she showed them to her sisters in Japan and they just could not get enough of them! I could buy them in Canada for $11 and ship them to Kobe, where they eventually sold for $57. My price was right, and the trade just grew beyond my wildest expectations."
Bob approached other cosmetic companies but getting a foothold in the grey market is very difficult, if not impossible." The Name Brands are interested only in supplying Harrods, Macy's or the other big players." In 1996 Bob established a trading relationship with CK Canada, by the year 2000 the company Bob had founded was Canada's largest exporter of CK Perfumes, turnover of around Ca$15,000,000 becoming the third most profitable account of CK Canada.
During Bob's time in Canada he studied Tribology (Lubrication Engineering) becoming a member of the ASLE (American Society of Lubrication Engineers). This was a second chance to utilise his engineering skills outside of the Aerospace Industry. Years later it was due to his disciplined attitude that he began development of a pre-shave lubricant to use on what he calls the "War on Whiskers".
Looking at why we shave the way we shave it is obvious that things haven't changed much in over 3,000 years, we still shave with soap lather/foams and a sharp blade. Blades have become more sophisticated, but the pre-shave lubricant has not. We apply a lather to soften the hair (but being water-based, it's repelled by the hair), so we need to look at something more appropriate than a "soap & water" formulation.
It turns out that hair has a natural affinity to oil, when oil is applied to the hair it makes the hair much softer and easier to shave. If the hair is softened and the skin is lubricated then the shaving process becomes much more comfortable.
Bob decided not to use the cheap (and sometimes nasty) petroleum-based ingredients used by the multinationals, neither would he base his formulations on animal fats or extracts due to the risk of prion diseases they are capable of carrying. Bob was intent on using nothing but "Food Grade" ingredients, based on the sound knowledge that if they are safe to eat, then you can be assured they are safe to use in a cosmetic product. Focusing on an exotic oil with a very high lubricity to ensure a close shave, the ultra fine grade of oil used is also a very effective skin conditioner and moisturiser. The formulation for Ultra Shave based on this essential exotic oil is now patented in seventeen countries.
Five years were spent by Bob developing his formulations and a further two years finding a way to preserve the cream without using any potentially harmful chemicals. Bob explains that many products contain parabens, which have been linked with cancer. Many formulations on the market, including high-price 'designer' products contain four or five parabens, these have risks associated with them that I would never accept.
His research in this quest carried with it the work ethic Bob had displayed as an engineer, "why accept any risk when there is no need to be at risk". The creams that I produce are safe enough to eat, I would never take a short cut to preserve them by using a potentially dangerous chemical, even though the multinationals do this every day.
"I urge everyone reading this to take a moment and check if there are parabens in the products that you're using - from cosmetics, sun creams, body lotions and shaving products. If it contains any of the family of parabens my advice is to throw it out, using it could cost you your life."
"I have had the misfortune recently to have been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and it threatens my life, if you have the choice to avoid using anything that is a known or potential carcinogen, then give it a wide berth."
Shaving with Ultra Shave is radically different, there is a learning curve to using it, but after using the product for a few days more than 85% of people say they prefer it to any method they have used before. Ultra Shave brings shaving out of the Dark Ages, and offers a cool, close and comfortable shave.
Ultra Shave has a big following within the Canadian, US & UK forces stationed in Iraq & Afghanistan. The marines find the dispenser fits easily into their "float kit" saving both space and weight but most of all it's the comfort of the shave they like.
"Since developing Ultra I have formulated other creams, one of them that seems to work well for folks who have either eczema or psoriasis. I have several unsolicited testimonials from men and women who have had really bad skin problems for years, problems that have for the most part cleared up when they have used the creams that I've produced. I have to admit that this benefit was due to serendipity but most likely due to the grade and quality of ingredients that I insist on to build my creams from. After some investigation as to why my creams worked as well as they do for some skin problems I was pleased to find research done at Ohio State University and further support for the effectiveness of the ingredient base done at the University of Georgia."
After his appearance on BBC's Dragons' Den Bob was contacted by both Rachel Elnaugh and Theo Paphitas, both of them interested in investing into his company.
Bob doesn't consider himself a businessman nor is he interested in becoming one. He says "Although I was selling cosmetics by the trailor load, I was simply buying from 'A' and selling to 'B,' that isn't business - that's seeing an opportunity and running with it. I'm now providing a unique product, one that I've spent eight years developing, Ultra carries my name and reputation, and I'm very proud that I've bought shaving out of the Dark Ages, and into the 21st Century."
Bob tells of a near-miss aboard his boat Lionheart.
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